April 23, 2014

I've finally gotten around to painting the Craigslist mid-century Drexel Touraine dresser for the dining room. It looked like this before:

I primed it with Zinsser Cover-Stain oil based primer and then tried out Sherwin Williams ProClassic Waterbased Acrylic-Alkyd Enamel. It's one of the new "hybrid" paints that acts like oil, but is actually water based. The paint store assured me it has great leveling properties so brush strokes will disappear, but that didn't prove to be the case for me. The surface looks quite brush-strokey despite my efforts to lay it down quickly and not over-brush it. It's driving me crazy, but maybe I'll forget about it once the dresser is in place in the dining room. I tried researching online whether I could add Floetrol to a water based alkyd to help it level and gave up in confusion— and, let's be honest— laziness.

I'm moving on.

I want to spray paint the hardware.

Should I make it look brassy? Pretend this statue lady's arm is a drawer handle.

But remember, it's going to live in this room with nutty fuchsia wallpaper. A vintage lamp with a sleek brass cylinder base will sit on top.

My gut tells me it would be pink overkill. After all, a respected colleague once informed me that restraint is the second rule of design. But man, that pink is FUN. Maybe in a room that wasn't already swathed in pink.

I was going to use the original hardware, but the mocked-up rectangles are making me want something simple, modern, and less fussy. I wonder if I could find something like that.

What to do, guys?

UPDATE: I couldn't find new drawer pulls, so I tried for a brass paint job and didn't like the spray paint I used. So they're navy.

Love it! I say brass hardware. It will still look fabulous. The pink is fun, but I do think it would be too much, plus if you ever wanted to move it to a different room, the pink may not work. And I like the original handles, but rectangular ones like you mocked up would also be fine. Excited to see the finished product!

Nicole, the color is Sherwin Williams Rare Gray. I've since looked up reviews on the paint, and some people have no problem and like it, and some said they hate it. So.... not sure what to make of that!

I would argue that you'd be showing restraint by painting just the trim pink, as opposed to the entire top, or the entire dresser. (I'd probably paint the top in addition to the bottom trim, but I'm going a little crazy with color right now.) It's fun, creative, and you're a designer; you should definitely have bright, colorful, furniture in your house. In fact, I think it's a law. ;-) I vote pink + simpler handles.

I vote brass! You can get some cool rectangle pulls at a home improvement store, similar to this: http://littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com/2013/12/how-to-spray-paint-hardware.html but maybe thinner for the dresser?

Well, no... I meant the wallpaper, 'cause that's what I thought it looked like in the pictures. But getting out my "stationery", I see that it's purple. So yeah... now I mean the curtains. :) Or go purple. ;)

Sorry... in a hurry and not paying attention very well. ;( I have sewing to do.....

I'll post another vote for brass. The pink is probably too much with the wallpaper.

I've used the ProClassic for trim and doors. I found that a small roller with a low nap gives the best finish on on broad flat areas but smaller areas will require a brush and you'll need to apply lightly and quickly to get the self-leveling. I hate to wrench this but I was disappointed in that paint for the mantle top. I let it cue for 2 weeks before setting things on it and they still stuck and marred the surface. A coat of "crystal clear" polyurethane will help. It comes in several finishes at most hardware stores. Just be sure to get "crystal clear" because regular polyurethane is yellowish.

I've used the Ben Moore version of this paint with the same primer. I recommend using a foam roller with both the primer and paint to avoid brush strokes. perhaps if you do a top layer of color with the roller you'll hide the strokes? if not, it's probably not worth sanding down to reapply with the roller.

I agree that you'll tire of the pink. but then, you could always paint it new at that point.

Neal, you just answered a couple questions for me--it's been a couple days and the top still feels sliiiightly sticky to me. I'm going to wait longer to set stuff on it, but was wondering about a clear sealer.

Can you do a photo shop with just the handles pink? Maybe that would be enough of a fun punch yet if you tired of it or moved the piece all you would have to do is respray the handles and not repaint the bottom color. Although it is very fun with the handles and bottom in pink.

I'm for modern hardware. I like keeping the metals in a room similar. So go with the brass. I love the original handles but they really date the dresser. Since you went to the trouble of updating the color a more streamline handle will really transform it to NOW. Save the handles for another piece.

Top & trim, as well as hardware, in a dark color in the room...black, the dark color in the wallpaper (navy? purple?), or from the drapes. Get simple cheap modern handles and paint them. That's my vote!But whatever you do will be beautiful...I don't think you can lose with any of the suggestions...can't wait to see what you decide!

That's a very nice dresser. You may want to try a mini roller next time. When I paint furniture I follow up with 3 coats of water base polyurethane with a fine sanding between coats. I use the satin finish and it softens the finish and gives it a more professional and less DYI appearance. Water base is key as it dries clear. Sometimes I lightly sand the painted surface first to knock off the lines. It can be difficult if you are not going for a rustic look to avoid exposing wood on the sharp edges. Plus, some paints will pill if they have a rubbery finish.

I think the dresser needs the borders back on the drawers. I liked that with the original piece -it played nicely with the wall paper. Perhaps a deepened fuchia/burgondy color? And add that to the tabletop as well. And brushstroked would add to the distressed value of the piece.

Pink handles definitely, but get something totally out there, some kind of rococo nuttiness with lots going on. I love the pink legs on the piece and I think they actually will help anchor it in the room.

So, I love the pink the most in the piece if it was standing alone, but in that room, the brass will probably look better. (The pink and gray is SO COOL, though! Maybe you have to incorporate that color combo elsewhere.)

Wait, wallpaper a fireplace? Genius! Are you talking about the surround or the INTERIOR since it is unused? Crossing my fingers that you mean the interior because I'm totally stealing this idea. I have two unused, read: ugly, fireplaces that I didn't know what to do with. Problem solved! Of course I've got your back on this; I can justify just about anything. ha ha

Jessica, yes, I used Polycrylic clear semi-gloss on mine. Again, I stress, get the one that says "crystal clear". I used it over white and it was just fine, in some light I felt like it made the white just a hair off, but no one else seemed to be able to see it even when I pressed them to be sure they were telling the truth. LOL.It's excellent paint otherwise. I loved how easily I could scrub the baseboards and the doors took many beatings when we moved furniture around. Just, for some reason, you can't set things on a horizontal surface.

Donna, I mean BOTH. We've hit some snags with putting in a gas fire (though I've still got a little hope left), but if I can't, I have a dream of wallpapering the tile surround, which in my case is only 6" wide, AND the entire interior of the firebox. Ours has crumbling mortar and nasty brick I want to hide, so I'm thinking I could make a "box" insert that fits right inside, and the inside of that box would be wallpapered. The box would be removable, and the wallpaper on the tile would just be attached with double stick tape or repositionable spray adhesive if I wanted it to be temporary.

The brush stroky thing makes me crazy too. Think of it as "that expensive hand-painted look".I will try that Sherwin Williams paint though. The special cupboard and cabinet paint I used on my dresser (very similar to yours) was a big disappointment, it's peeling off like a bad sunburn. And I did Zinzer it in advance even though I was told it wouldn't be necessary.

I'll take a look! I went to 2 hardware stores yesterday in search of modern pulls, but none came even close to fitting the existing holes-- which are quite big, since part of the handle fits inside the hole. I guess I’ll use the original ones and just paint them.

I HAVE that dresser! Or at least one that looks almost exactly like it. It's been through a million transformations already. It was my mom's when she was a kid. Then my sister and I used it growing up, then after college when I got my own apartment I took it with me. Now that I have 2 girls, they use it in their room. It's been repainted and restained so many times! I had the hardest time finding new handles for it as well because the holes are further apart than normal. I got it in some catalog but I forgot the name. If I find it I will let you know. I would like to reclaim the dresser for myself and get them a new one. Would love to do it over yet again! :)

I found a desk on craigslist in the exact style and painted it turquoise! I kept the original hardware because the 80's brass started to patina with some funky greens in it. I thought about painting it but kept it in the end. I think the key with painting old fashioned shaped furniture is to give it a modern twist. Check it out here if you'd like: http://www.findingsilverlinings.net/2011/04/18/how-to-spray-paint-wooden-furniture/Love the pink by the way.